Iran and russia agree to produce Iranian kamikaze drones in russia - The Washington Post

Moscow and Tehran have agreed on a plan to assemble Iranian-designed weapons on Russian territory. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing new intelligence obtained by U.S. and other Western security agencies.

Here's What We Know

In early November, Iran held a meeting with Russian representatives during which an agreement was reached to begin production of hundreds of kamikaze UAVs on Russian territory. In doing so, Russia is moving quickly to obtain designs and key components that could allow production to begin within a few months. The Washington Post notes that the officials agreed to discuss the matter on the condition that their identities and nationalities not be revealed, citing the need to protect confidential and ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts.

The sources said the agreement, if fully implemented, would represent a further deepening of the Russian-Iranian alliance and help Russia significantly increase its stockpile of relatively inexpensive UAVs and meet the critical need for high-precision munitions. According to intelligence reports, Russia has used more than 400 Iranian-made combat drones since August, often to strike civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

Iranian leaders, according to the article, may believe they can avoid new sanctions if the drones are physically assembled in russia.

"Iran and Russia can lie to the world, but they can’t hide the facts: Tehran is helping kill Ukrainian civilians through the provision of weapons and assisting Russia in its operations. It’s another sign of how isolated both Iran and Russia are. The United States — with allies and partners — is pursuing all means to expose, deter, and confront Iran’s provision of these munitions and Russia’s use of them against the Ukrainian people. We will continue to provide Ukraine with the critical security assistance it needs to defend itself, including air defense systems", said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

Source: The Washington Post